The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-03-16
WAR PANORAMAS.
METHODS BY WHICH A GREAT BAT.
TIE PAINTING is MADE.

Work That Calls for Careful Judgment
and Much Artistic SkiII-Painting a
Cavalry Oficer-Curiosity of Visitors.
An Old Lady.
When a battle panorama or cyclorama
is to be set up the material for the fore
ground is always prepared before the re-
ceipt of the picture. The chief artist and
the mechanical constructor have Superln-
tended the construction of the platforms,
following the irregular line indicated both
on the first lrawing and the panorama.
AL the lumber that is used is treated
with a composition of silicate, to keep out
moisture and to make it fire proof Hun
dreds of loads of earth have been carted
into the building; quantities of lumber,
trees both living and dead, together with
a collection of fence rails, bushes, sods,
logs, sand and variety of camp equipage
are piled about ready for use. The plat
forms are the groundwork for the earth
and sod, which are very skillfully Joined
to their painted semblances on the canvas;
bushes and trees are planted; earthwOrks
and log camps are built; everything is
done with careful intent to make the
foreground and painting appear as one
whole landscape, and so to join the two
in meaning and color as to make 1t nearly
impossible for spectator to determine at
any point which is the real and which
the painted scene.
CAREFUL JUDGMENT NEEDED.
This work calls for very careful judg-
ment, as it is necessary to settle the exact
relation in size which real objects shall
bear to those in the painting. An ordi-
nary hat or cap placed upon the fore
ground near the canvas would seem pro-
digious, though the same hat thrown on
IL fn1
by the spectator would not attract notice.
The entire foreground must therefore be
arranged to aid the perspective of the
painting, so that when the panorama is
ready for exhibition even the artist who
has constantly labored to attain that very
result finds difficulty in realizing that the
scene spread before him is painted
upon canvas which hangs vertically but
forty feet distant from his eye.
The central platform is of course the
standpoint from which visitors will view
the panorama-and therefore the artists
are obliged to go to it frequently as the
painting nears completion in order to OBJ
Serve the effect and progress OF their
work The floor of the platform is chalked
and rechalked with diagrams, some re-
ferring to the panorama itself, but more
to illustrate occurrences upon other helds.
The strong pine rail surrounding the plat
form is penciled all over with kindred
decorations while scraps of paper on
which are memoranda Of incidents and a
variety of data, as well as names and ad-
dresses, are pinned to the convenient tim
Der with thumb tackS.
The artists paint steadily, every individ-
ual being mainly occupied in perfecting
his own work, though never hesitatiDg
to ask or extend aid in some special direc-
ton. One artist, for instance, has an ex-
cellent figure of mounted officer, all com
plete excepting the portrait, photograph
for which is pinned to the canvas. While
this artist goes to strengthen a line of
an admirable portrait for the incomplete
figure. Soon another brush is busy with
the horse, while still another artist calls
for some special saddle and bride to be
brought to the platform that he may
paint the trappings.
PINNED To THE CANVAS.
Now look at the back of the photograph
which is pinned to the canvas1-a faded
carte de visite of young officer; upon
slip of paper we read the following: "Col |
K, now on Gen. Sheridan's staff; then |
captain, Gen. Thomas staff, Il Az (mean
ing the section H, square AZ, of the piano.
rama); "French cap, blouse, captains |
straps -staff-dark blue trowsers, gold !
cord, cavalry staff sword, Mcclellan sad !
die; shabrack-black horse; see sketch. |
This instance will give an idea of the |
way in which facts are preserved when a |
panorama is painted by artists who con-
strive to make of the work a
great historical painting.
The question is frequently asked:
What paints do the artists use in paint
ing the battle panoramas?' Only colors
Of the best quality are used, such as are
used by an artist in his work upon fine
oil painting. The color is of course pur-
chased in very large quantities; as an in
stance, for the panorama in which | was |
interested the rich yellOwish paint known |
rs cadmium cost $500, and was contained |
IN four tin cans, each the size of an ordi- !
nary peach can.
The curiosity of visitors to the various
great battle panOramas seems to have no
end. Many suspect that an immense
plate of glass is placed between the spec
5ator and the canvas; and some persons
nave even thrown objects with sufficient
'orce to go thrice the distance from the |
platform to the canvas for the purpose,
Is they said, of testing the glass. OF
course there is no glass nor any other
means of deception than the simple ar
angement here described. The largest
igures on the canvas are between three
nd four feet high, though they seem to
re full life size
A certain inquisitive cid lady visiting
ne Of the earliest of these panoramas-
The Battle of Sedan -helped herself
yer the platform rail by means of con-
enient chairs and trotted down ali earth
Dad leading from the platform to the
anvas, where-alongside the painted
gures-she looked like GuIIiver's wife
mong the Lilliputians. ''Whyi Oh,
" ~ she exclaimed, ''look at these dear
lg up her paraso1 near a painted group
German soldiers which looked like
warts beside her. Great laughter greeted
er return to the platform, where she re-
larked: "Oh, my! how they do grow 6
hen you get back, away from themp'
nd this is the whole secret of the effect
roduced upon the spectator.
!. Davis in st. Nicholas
Dudish